The Wolf and the Dragon: Two Halves Meet
by zebgree
Summary: A/N: New story in the works. Please be patient. The Wolf. Born of ice and snow. The Dragon. Born of fire and ash. Two different creatures and two different worlds. What will happen when they're thrown together? Future Avatar story. Rating may go up
1. Prologue

_A/N: This is an idea I came up with while reading a bunch of Zutara stories. Yes, before you ask, they are my favorite pairing. Anyway, back to the story. It is set TWO generations AFTER the Avatar gang. The war is ended; Zuko is Fire Lord, and so on. All will be explained in the prologue._

After the Fire Lord's death, the war came an almost swift and abrupt end. Fire nations soldiers bended easily to the new will of Fire Lord Zuko and everyone seemed happy to make the transition into peace. Well, on the outside. But there was still hostility towards firebenders and no one could blame them. One hundred years of terror and pain could not be forgotten over night. The Avatar had his work cut out from him. But he had his friends, all very important. And he had his new wife, a waterbendering master and delegate to both tribes of the Wolf and the Owl.

Zuko, even after years of happy marriage with his own beautiful wife, couldn't help but wince as he recalled the thought. Katara had been so happy when her and Aang's first-born had come, baring the tattoos of the airbenders, the first in a hundred years. Back then, he could never understand what had gone wrong, but he had let go, like he had learned to let everything go, and moved on. But some part of his heart still belonged to that waterbender with eyes like the ocean, the only one ever to best him in combat.

As Zuko looked out the window and down at the garden, he couldn't say he wasn't happy with his own life now. He had two handsome sons to take up his mantle, a beautiful granddaughter, and a troublesome grandson, who now busied himself by playing in the garden below the Fire Lord's window.

Ryuu, Zuko's youngest son and the new dragon of the west, was attempting to teach his nephew some restraint with his fire bending. Even at the tender age of 6, Zuko's only grandson, Akihiko, showed great promise in his bending abilities. Granted, not as much as Azula.

Zuko frowned. That was the only dark mark on his new life. Azula. Even now, he dreaded her, and her promised revenge. Even now, two generations later, he still feared what her anger would drive her to do. With her incredible bending power, she had been able to escape and now, she was hiding, biding her time, he knew, till she would strike when it hurt him most. Even in her old age, she would still bring about her revenge.

Katara was happy. She had to frequently tell herself that when she first married Aang. She wouldn't go around missing what she never had. She was stronger than that. Sometimes, she would believe it and would be happy. But other times, a pair of amber eyes haunter her memories, taunting her and tormenting her.

But now, as she watched her four-year-old grand niece bend water from her cup, she didn't have to tell herself those words. Sokka's granddaughter was beautiful and, even though she was parts water and earth, she looked like she belonged more with the water tribe that in the dull browns and greens of the earth kingdom. Katara felt a small twinge of regret. None of her own children were waterbenders. None of her grand children either. They were all airbenders. Not that she wasn't happy about that. She was, but she missed having someone to teach, to pass on her ways to.

But here was her chance. Her grandniece, Miyako. Katara smiled. She would be a waterbending mater, like her great aunt.

Miyako sat in her mother's lap, brilliant blue eyes gazing up at her mother adoringly. Her mother smiled as she finished the last of her sewing and set it down on the table next to her. Miyako smiled excitedly, knowing that this gesture meant a story.

"Tell me a story," she asked uselessly, in case her mother should forget.

"Alright. How about the Wolf?" her mother suggested.

The mocha-skinned child tilted her head to the side, confused by her mother's question.

"The Wolf is the symbol of your water tribe. There are many stories about her," Miyako's mother explained.

Miyako seemed to think this over for a moment and finally, she nodded her consent.

"Alright. How about the night the Wolf met the Dragon," her mother started.

Miyako tried to act bored, but just the mention of dragon caught her attention and she shifted closer to hear well.

"That night, the moon was full and the Wolf protected her territory while looking up at her first love, the moon. So distracted by its loveliness was she, that the Wolf did not see a shadow descend upon her. Only when a cloud covered the moon, did she feel the presence of other. Angered that one would get so close, she spun, teeth and claws ready to battle the ignorant fool. But when she turned, what she saw froze her. A handsome dragon, red and gold in color, lying in the snow, smolding bronze eyes following her. It was so different from anything she had seen in the South Pole that it startled her. Neither could say anything, only gaze at one another, as if confused by each other's very presence. Then the dragon spoke:

'Please. I am hurt.'

The wolf looked now at the rest of his body and saw the red snow under his belly.

'Please. Kill me.'

Appalled the wolf looked back at the dragon's eyes, now seeing the deep pain and nobility there. But she couldn't complete his request. There was more to those eyes, she knew, and she wasn't about to let such a handsome creature die at her claws.

'I will help you.'

And so, the wolf built a den around the dragon, as she was not strong enough to move him. She scratched the snow away from his body and curled around him to keep him warm. She licked his wounds to make them heal faster and brought him food to replenish his strength. This went on for so long that the Wolf had gotten used to the dragon's presence, craving it even. So, it came as a shock when on day she came to the den and found him gone. She gave a cry to the moonless night sky and laid her head down on her paws, tears falling into the snow.

'Why did you leave?' she asked the air.

'But I didn't.'

The wolf raised her head to meet the bronze eyes of her dragon. He curled around her and rested his head against her cold fur.

'You didn't leave.'

'I didn't leave, my savior.'

The spirits looked down upon the two strange creatures embracing, finding it quite a strange sight indeed.

'But it is a true love.' The spirits told one another."

"And the next day, the dragon left, telling his wolf good-bye and that they'd see each other again some day," the mother finished.

Her mother looked down at Miyako to find a semi-disgusted expression on her face. She could help but laugh.

"Why did he just _leave_?" she asked, as if confused by the whole matter.

"Because he had to go back home, sweetie. They had their own worlds to live in," her mother tried to explain.

"But it just **doesn't** make any sense," Miyako complained and, without another word, she crawled off her mother's lap and off to bed.

"Good night, my wolf child," her mother called to her.

And like the wolf of her tribe, Miyako looked back with solemn brilliant blue eyes, and smiled.


	2. 1 A lily among roses

With a sigh, the young waterbender watched as her "one-true-love" walked away, arms encircling another girl, an earthbending girl. It was 12 years after her mother's telling of the Wolf and the Dragon, but it still crossed young Miyako's mind every once and a while. It still didn't make sense to her childish spirit, but her mind was beginning to see the rationality in it.

"But a story _isn't_ supposed to have rationality in it," she blurted out to no one.

In her favorite place, a small hidden spring near her earth village, Miyako sat, discontented with… something. Her mind, body, and soul all seemed to feel out of place. In her young ignorance, she believed it was because she wasn't an earthbender, but a waterbender, and in this thinking, she had become to be ashamed of her waterbending gifts. She had begun to practice them in private, for she found that if she simply did not bend, she felt as if she were betraying some part of herself, a part that was as wild and untamable as her element. As she bended the water from the spring to dance around her arm and hand, she mused over the events of the day. Her baby sister had taken her first steps, a joyous occasion for her mother, Yue, and her father, Teiko. Her grandfather had been even more ecstatic when he learned that she, Miyako, was going to travel to the South Pole to practice waterbendering under her great aunt, Master Katara.

Her world had been floating on a cloud, every joyous and happy. Even her. She had run to tell her friend, Teru, who was also her secret love. Then she had seen him walk off with her, his new fiancée, and gravity seemed to take hold of her world once again. She had been happy for him. He seemed to truly care for the girl, but her own sorrow had drawn her to this spring and now she twirled the water to mimic her sadness. It seemed to simmer and dance with a grace of its own, displaying a tale of grief. It was enchanting.

Perhaps that was why Akihiko couldn't take his eyes from the waterbender as she sat upon a rock, twisting and twirling the water around her like a pet. No, not a pet, he decided, but an extension of herself. She was lovely, her mocha-colored skin glistening with sweat from the late noon sun and her chocolate colored locks hung about her shoulders, some pinned up in a customary earth kingdom fashion. A simple forest green dress covered her shapely body, a brown belt curved around her waist to bind the dress to her.

_Green doesn't suit her. _Akihiko thought, surveyed the innocent girl with the mind of an 18-year-old prince.

He pictured her in the finest red silk of his palace, smiling shyly as she offered him gifts. Her hair would be pulled up in a topknot so he could see that elegant neck fully. And she would bow to him, follow him, become shy when he talked to her, and generally be obedient to his every will. It was a superb daydream and the fire nation prince was thoroughly enjoying it. That is, until he blinked and found a pair of angered brilliant blue eyes glaring strait into his bronze ones.

"_What_ do you think you're doing?' she questioned in a cool voice, only her eyes displaying the anger just below the surface.

Stunned, he couldn't move. How had she known he was there? He was exceeding carefully to not make a sound and conceal himself so she wouldn't see him if she happened to glance his way. _Her eyes are like a storm_, a random thought came to mind. He shook his head, trying to rid it of the cobwebs that seemed to settle there.

"I was thirsty," he said the first excuse that came to his mind.

Her nose wrinkled in confusion and he realized that this spring was out of the way from the trail, which had a perfectly good stream not far from it. So, his thirsty excuse was a long shot and he mentally slapped himself.

"I was hunting," he explained, hoping it added to the authenticity of his excuse.

She still looked doubtful and the line that her lips made said that she didn't believe him, but she accepted his excuse, more or less.

She couldn't _believe_ a firebender was spying on her! Inside, she silently fumed. This was _her_ place of peace and water, where she could come to be _alone_! She kept her anger to herself, instead concentrating on the man in front of her. He was obviously older than her and was at least a head taller than her. And though he had never indicated that he was a firebender, his pale skin and black hair signified that he was. Not to mention his smoldering bronze eyes. They made it look as if his soul was on fire with passion, even in his confusion and slight panic. And though he wore indiscriptive shades of brown and green, the way he held himself told her that maybe he was nobility. The thought made her anger waver for a moment, as she didn't want to be dragged to a noble man's home and accused to disrespect.

_But this was __**her**__ place_! Her anger screamed at her.

But part of her mind, the rational part, told her that someone was going to find it eventually as she herself had happened upon the spring as well. But a_ firebender_? She frowned, at a loss at what to do with her new guest. She had several options: she could ignore him and go back to her waterbending, hoping he just left, she could force him from her private spring, preaching "Finders keepers", or she could figure out _why _he had chosen to watch her instead of revealing himself. Being curious, she opted for the last option.

"Why were you just **sitting** there?" she questioned lightly, trying not to present any of the hostility that she was feeling towards him at the moment.

Miyako saw him shift his weight as he considered her question and she instinctively toke a step back towards the spring and towards her element. No matter how ashamed she was of it, it still protected her. If he noticed her step, he didn't indicate that he did.

"I was watching you," he finally said, as if the answer was simple.

She stared at him with wide eyes, trying to figure out if he was being serious or just joking with her. His eyes, still smoldering with what seemed to be barely contained passion, connected with her and he seemed to be serious. Finally, she shifted her eyes away, fearful that her own soul would be singed from the heat of his.

"Watching me? Why?" she asked, wrapping her arms around her middle, as if protecting herself from him.

"Isn't that obvious?"

His voice was low, as if hinting at some meaningful thing. She glanced up at him, still anxious about that fire in him. When she did, it startled her into another step back. Some of that barely contained passion was directed at her and it made her worried.

"No. It's not," she answered bluntly.

It froze her when he stepped closed and gazed down at her. He lifted a hand and brushed back a piece of stray hair from her eyes, his hand gentle and warm. She trembled, for now his passion was direct entirely on her and she felt that she would burn up in his gaze.

"Your exotic. A lily among roses. So different and yet…" he paused, as if trying to find the right words "So strong."

She trembled again, this time from the force of his words. _A lily among roses?_ Well that just proved how different she was. It distracted her for a moment, which was long enough for him to lean down so his lips were close to her.

"And so beautiful," he murmured.

"Akihiko!"

"Akihiko! Stop your games and come out!"

Akihiko muttered a silent curse under his breath. He had been so close. So close to get her to agree to anything. At the sound of another's voice, the young waterbender seemed to snap out of the trace his words had settled over her. She took several steps back, putting a comfortable distance between them. She looked shocked that he had even gotten close to her, much less kissed her. Akihiko made a mental note to singe his uncle later. And that's when the dragon of the west decided to push through the trees and brush.

"Akihiko, this is not how a prince is supposed to **act**," Ryuu scolded as he brushed off his fire nation armor.

From the corner of his eyes, Akihiko saw the young girl's widen s she looked from General Ryuu to him and then back again. He was sure she was in shock.

"General Ryuu? Prince? _Akihiko?!_" she said, her voice sounding numb.

Ryuu turned to look at her, as if seeing her for the first time.

"Oh, yes. Hello. Yes, this Prince Akihiko, of the fire nation," Ryuu confirmed for her.

The girl's mocha-colored skinned paled slightly. Akihiko thought she might pass out from shock. Her mouth opened as if to speak and then she closed it again, as if words didn't seem enough. Finally, she bowed, lowering her eyes from his.

"I'm very sorry, your highness. I didn't know," she murmured.

Akihiko was slightly shocked at her new behavior. Before, though she seemed to know he was of higher status, she still had held some stubbornness in her tone. Now, she was submissive, in a common sort of way. And it wasn't at all what he expected. He found he didn't like the way she acted submissive.

"And those clothes aren't **yours**," Ryuu continued, scolding Akihiko, even though he didn't seem to be paying very much attention.

Ryuu switched his attention from Akihiko, who had now focused his attention on the surrounding trees, to the waterbender in earth kingdom clothing.

"Thank you for making sure he didn't get into any trouble. Even at 18, he's still a handful," Ryuu told her, smiling gently, "What is your name?"

"Miyako," she said solemnly.

"Miyako. Miyako. You wouldn't be Sokka's granddaughter, would you? My, you've grown up," Ryuu said, smiling more broadly now.

"Yes, sir," she confirmed, "But I must be going. I'm afraid my mother will miss me if I'm gone too long. Good-bye."

She bowed to both of them and hurried from the secret spring, surprising them both in her sped through the dense trees.

"She does look so much like her great aunt," Ryuu commented.

Akihiko wasn't listening. He was staring at the spot where she had vanished. _Miyako, we'll meet again._ He silently promised himself. There was just something to… compelling about her. He just didn't know what.

_A/N: Wow. I feel really blessed. I had 102 hits just on the prologue and even a review. You guys just made me want to write so fast so I could make you happy. Unfortunately, my fingers stumbled every once and a while, so it wasn't as fast as I hoped. But this is the first chapter. Now we get a look into the characters. Please review!_


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